Drying apparatus



Patented @et 2l, i924.

. UNHTD STT@ PATENT HQE.

DRYING APPARATUS.

Application filed May 10, 1921. Serial No. 468,367.

To (JZ 011710721 it may concern:

Be it known that I, GERALD A. Lonen, residing at Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drying Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

l My said invention relates to a spray drying device for drugs, chemicals, milk and other fluids or rsemi-fluids whereby the solid constituents can lbe separated from the liquid. It is an object of the invention to provide a device which can be made in small sizes to provide for the needs of drug manufacturers and others who have occasion to dry relatively small quantities of numerous materials.

lt is also an object of the invention to provide such a device which shall be compact and ecient and yet simple in structure, comparatively inexpensive to install and not liable to get out of order. v

Referring to the accompanying drawings which are made a part hereof and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts,

Figure 1 is a central vertical section of my device,

Figure 2 a horizontal-section on line 2-,2 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 a detail section of a screen used in my device.l

In the drawings 5 indicates the outer shell or casing of the device which is preferably cylindricall and which may be supported in any convenientimanner as by means of posts 6 and braces 7. At the upper end of the body or casing 5 I have provided a niember comprising an outer shell 8 and an inner shell 9 with heat insulatingmaterial 10 between them. At its upper end this member has one or more atomizer nozzles 11 and a side extension provides a passage at 12 for heated air to contact with-the line spray of milk or other material to be evaporated.

The inner shell 9 of the upper portion of the device may, and preferably does, extend downwardly through the shell 5, terminating on a level with the lower end of the shell. Between the casing members 5 and 9 is a concentric cylindrical screen 13 which extends from top t0 bottom of the shell 5 and is fastened at each end to the holding means byv which parts 5, 8 and 9 and the insulation 10 are held in position relative to each other. This screen consists of an inner cloth layer 14C and an outer layer of woven wire 15. One or more rings 1G surround the screen approximately midway between its ends and these rings are provided with any desirable or conventional vibrating means. I have illustrated electrical mechanism comprising a radial extension 17 on the ring passing through an opening in the shell 5, a vibrator 18 and conventional means operated by a battery 19 for reciprocating the extension 17 and thus constantly vibrating the screen.

At the lower end of the screen is a funnel` 20 with a discharge opening having a gate 21. The upper end of the funnel may rest on or be otherwise ysupported by the upper ends of posts 6 and may close the space between shell 5 and screen 13 or this may be closed in any other convenient manner. The funnel 2O may be attached to and partially supported by the braces 7 The shell 5 has a suction opening 22 which' may communicate with any preferred means for drawing air through the device. Manholes are provided at 23 and 24 for access to the interior, and a window at 25 permits inspection of the interior atthe upper end of the device, or access thereto as may be desired.

A single unit such as shown may be set up for operation by itself or a plurality of such units may be set up for operation as a battery all drawing their heat from a common source. The number of nozzles 11 may also be varied at will and various other cle-- tails of construction may be varied without departing from the scope of my invention.

In the operation of my device the liquid to be evaporated falls into the casing as a fine spray from the nozzle or nozzles 11 and contactswith heated air which is drawn lin at 12. In passing down through the casing the aqueous content of the spray will be vaporized and the solid constituents thereof will be deposited in large measure at the lower end of the shell. .On reaching the bottom of the shell the current of air will change its course and pass upwardly between parts 9 and 5, carrying with it as an entrainment a portion of said solids` which will be carried up along the screen and will be separated thereby from the air passing through the screen to the exits 22. powder that settles'on the screen is detached bythe vibrating action of the ring 16and connected parts and also falls into th hopper. l

lOO

The

It will be seen that the air at its `highest temperature will contact with thev liquid where the sprayis densest and where, by reason of the ra id evaporation, the solid constituents are east likely t'o suffer from high temperatures and also that the product is collected at the coolest portion of the chamber. The entire solid constituents of the liquid are recovered within the drier and not in a succession of secondary equipment as has been customary and the powder of uniform character is deposited and removed from one central point of discharge. The operationof the gate'21 is automatic since it will remain closed4 by the suction until thi'seffect is overcome by the Weight of the powder collected in the funnel when the .gate will o enand the powder will be discharged, w ereupon the gate will again be closed by the suction. It will be understood that the action of suction on the gate may he supplemented by a spring or by gravity, due

t0 either of which it may be noi-mall closed -bnt vemotion-is relied onto hold tie gate shut while a considerable quantity of niaterial accumulates 1n the funnel. A hxed gate or damper .26 will be provided in practice b which the How of powder .may be entirely prevented while changing containers or for anyA other reason.

While I have shown a preferred form of my device it will be evident to those skilled `in the art that many changes may be made therein without'departing from the scope ot" I1920, and the lower cylinder portion of the member 9 may' be partially or entirely omitted in which latter case the exit opening must be formed near the bottom of the outer shell. Therefore I do not limit myself to the specific device shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

vHaving' thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is:

1. In a spray drier, a chamber, a funnel below the chamber for collecting the residue of solids one wall of the funnel sloping continuously toward the lower vend of the funnel and the opposite Wall having a lateral opening at its lower end, and a gate for said opening pivoted along its upper side to swing outward, substantially as set forth.

2. In a spray drier, a chamber, a-'funncl below the chamber for collecting the residue 

